Strengthened State Power

Question 1

Rolling Back the State

Speech

Answer 1

Bruges, 1988
Claimed she had ‘rolled back the frontiers of the state’

Question 2

Economic Liberalisation

Four Key Areas

Answer 2

End to post-war Keynesian consensus
End to corporatism + co-operation with unions
Cuts to gov spending on welfare
Cuts to direct taxes in favour of indirect taxes

Question 3

Strengthening the State

Protection From

Answer 3

Soviet Union
Powerful unions
Terrorists, hooligans, and criminals

Question 4

Strengthening the State

Rule of Law

Answer 4

Thatcher believed in democracy and the rule of law
Suspicious of radical protest and determined to be tough on crime

Question 5

Union Policy

Norman Tebbit

Answer 5

Secretary of State for Employment (1981-83) and Industry (1983-85)
Abandoned corporatism, stopped negotiating with unions, and abandoned price + wage controls

Question 6

Union Policy

Legislation

Answer 6

Employment Act (1980) - Criminalised secondary picketing
Employment Act (1982) - Closed shop only if majority backing
**Trade Union Act (1984) **- Unions must call secret ballot to start a strike

Question 7

Control of the Press

1985 - MI5

Answer 7

Banned publication of ‘Spycatcher’
(Memoirs of former MI5 officer)

Question 8

Control of the Press

1988 - IRA

Answer 8

Censored all news coverage of struggle with IRA
Banned broadcast of interviews with Sinn Fein or IRA members

Question 9

Control of the Press

1985-86 - Zircon Affair

Answer 9

Suppressed release of TV documentary (by Duncan Campbell) about spy satellite: ‘ZIRCON’
Pressure on BBC not to show it
Gov raided Campbell’s offices + confiscated research as well as gaining court order banning him from publishing or speaking about research
Secret from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee

Question 10

Law and Order

Operation Swamp 81

Answer 10

Targeted campaign of ‘stop and search’, focused on black community in Brixton
Justified by saying muggings + violent crimes were committed by black people
Lasted 10 days, dramatic increase in tensions, led to riots

Question 11

Law and Order

Brixton Riots

Answer 11

10th to 12th April 1981
Over 5,000 rioted, over 100 vehicles and 150 buildings damaged
249 police officers injured

Question 12

Law and Order

Police and Criminal Evidence Act (1984)

Answer 12

Expanded power of ‘stop and search’
Police gained rights to search cars and property based on suspicion

Question 13

Law and Order

Public Order Act (1986)

Answer 13

Gave police powers to arrest those involved in demonstrations
New offence - disorderly conduct - allowed police to insult those using insulting language

Question 14

Law and Order

Criminal Justice Act (1982/1986)

Answer 14

Short prison sentences for young offenders
Known as ‘short, sharp, shock’

Question 15

Law and Order

Equipment

Answer 15

Upgraded police equipment
Riot shields, plastic bullets, and CS gas introduced

Question 16

Law and Order

Budget + Prison

Answer 16

Increased 36% in real terms between 1979 - 1989
Prison population rose from 42,000 in 1979 to 480,000 in 1989 (highest per capita prison pop in Europe)

Question 17

Defence

Missiles

Answer 17

1979 - US Cruise Missiles stationed in UK
1980 - UK purchased Trident, cost £7.5 million a year for 15 years

Question 18

Defence

Spending

Answer 18

1982 - Review of defence capability ‘The Way Forward’
Committed to increase defence spending 3% every year throughout 1980s
Spending rose by 20% between 1979 to 1986

Question 19

Defence

Falklands

Answer 19

1982 - Military operation to retake Falkland Islands
Lasted 74 days, ended with Argentinian surrender on 14th June
649 Argentinian and 255 British miltary personnel and 3 Falkland Islanders died